ACS-2 Aquila-class stealth command jet
*United States Armed Forces|status = Active|image1 = Aquila1.png|armament = *2x socketed radar-targeted gatling gun turrets, one dorsal, one ventral *2x fixed forward facing autocannon mounts, starboard and port *2x multi-mission weapon pods, starboard and port *2x ASM ventral missile launcher bays|defenses = *Chaff launchers *Electronic warfare suite *Electromagnetic shielding|power = *4x Frost Futuretech Fusionator Cores|propulsion = *2x fusial thrust ramjets *4x VTOL drive lifter jets|passenger_capacity = 150|auxillary_vehicles = *ULC SUVs|vehicle_type = Aircraft|image2 = aquila2.png}}The ACS-2 Aquila-class stealth command jet is a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) capable aircraft used by the United Liberators Coalition and to some extent the United States Armed Forces. Thanks to its advanced fusion reactor it is capable of sustained flight for weeks at a time and able to maintain hovering position above ongoing operation sites. It is one of the newest vehicle types in the ULC's arsenal, introduced after complaints that Citadels were failing to meet certain mission profiles and a smaller, more mobile aircraft was necessary. Because of this, the Aquila is a highly sought-after plane, used by operation teams for instances where a ''Citadel''-class battleship would be too unwieldy or otherwise inappropriate. Mid-size to large chapters of Liberators have at least one with the larger chapters often having multiple. The President of the United States uses one of two unarmed Aquilas decorated in traditional presidential livery as Air Force One, starting in May 2029 with President Marcus Whitmore. History The ACS-2, with its extremely high performance, has replaced and phased out all AC-20 Phoenix command jets, which were the ULC's previous aircraft of choice for the role. No known AC-20s survive except for a refurbished one in the possession of Liberators-830B, and a second classified prototype in the US Air Force's experimental programs. It was named after the Aquila, the Latin word for 'eagle'. In Roman armies, the Aquila was the battle standard, and was extremely important to the empire's military, each legion going to great lengths to protect theirs and to recover it if it was lost. Each Roman Legion had an Aquila. Thus, the Aquila was chosen to represent the role of the aircraft played in Liberators operations, with each chapter ideally being assigned one. This however did not completely play through as, while the Aquila jet was very high quality, efficient and versatile, it was also very expensive. Thus in the modern Liberators throughout the USA, some chapters, typically the larger ones, operate Citadels while the mid-sized and more mobile ones operate Aquilas, with lesser equipped and funded chapters having no dedicated aircraft at all and only relying on small V-25 jump jets. In 2028, one member of this class was present for a failed joint ULC-AECIF rescue mission in Dubai, and fired air-to-surface missiles to kill a metahuman, having the consequence of destroying the upper twelve levels of the Burj Khalifa. In 2029, the United States Air Force decided that a sub-class Aquila variant designed for cargo carrying, the C-30 Aquila, would be the replacement for the older, no longer produced C-17 Globemaster IIIs, and has begun the process of ordering units produced for the US military. This new demand, along with the Coalition deciding to equip all existing Liberator chapters with an ACS-2, meant that due to their smaller size and lower priority, the team known as Liberators-830B received a AC-20 Phoenix as their main transport instead because of a backlog of orders from chapters considered higher importance. Notable examples L-597 aircraft Liberators-597's ACS-2 Aquila arrived safely at The Bunker after receiving the facility's recall order during the nuclear exchange of the resumed Korean War. This was the only aircraft of that chapter to do so. It was used on numerous missions by L-597 afterwards, and loaned temporarily to Liberators-830B following the loss of their AC-20 Phoenix. In August, when the ULC-CLAW War climaxed, a splinter faction of survivors from a battle at Ekhota Base fled on this aircraft and used it to lay low and escape CLAW. At the conclusion of the conflict, it was later returned to L-597's ownership and service. L-152 aircraft Liberators-152 was said to have an ACS-2 Aquila stationed at Trigon Base, but it was not used during their cooperation with Liberators-830N. It finally later made an appearance at the Battle of the Landmass alongside 597's aircraft, lending air support and transport capabilities in the battle as reinforcements for the 830 team. Air Force One See Air Force One page for more. One variant, reportedly unarmed and configured to serve as a Presidential Air Transport, was seen for the first time in Air Force One livery in the USSR during President Marcus Whitmore's state visit to Moscow in May 2029. Miscellaneous In January 2029, several Aquilas were seen at the Phoenix Complex when the teams were undergoing orientation and assignment. One was seen belonging to Liberators-54. Liberators-981 was said to, due to being one of the largest chapters in the United States, have at least three ACS-2s in their arsenal. In May 2029, numerous Aquilas were seen parked on landing pads at the Bunker, dwarfing the AC-20 that the Liberators-830B team arrived in. Operators * United Liberators Coalition ** Strike rescue team in 2028 Dubai failed rescue mission ** Liberators-981 (three in service) ** Liberators-830 (destroyed) ** Liberators-830B (temporarily, loaned) ** Liberators-54 ** Liberators-152 ** Liberators-597 ** Numerous ACS-2s belonging to unspecified owners at the Phoenix Complex ** Numerous ACS-2s belonging to unspecified owners at The Bunker * United States Air Force ** Seen during the Korean Peninsula invasion * White House Military Office ** Air Force One Armament and Technical Specifications Weapons and defenses * The Aquila possesses two ball-socket turrets with automatic computer-guided targeting, with quadruple mini-guns. One is mounted on the dorsal side of the ship, and one is mounted in the belly. Both retract when not in use, and are concealed for normal flight. * The Aquila also has two missile launchers built underneath her nose. Both are capable of launching a volley of two missiles at once, and reloading in under 30 seconds. The Aquila has a total missile payload capacity of 16 missiles air-to-surface or air-to-air missiles. * Like its smaller cousin, the F-35 Trident (also made by Lockheed), the Aquila has munitions and tactical pods, located on the sides of its 'head' that it is able to use to launch cluster missiles, drones, or fire high-powered lasers depending on its selected mission loadout. * The Aquila has an electromagnetic defense shield to deflect some EM attacks. It is also shielded from electronic warfare, which it can also deploy itself. * The command jet has the ability to launch chaff to defend itself by confusing incoming missiles. In-flight docking Certain types of small and light aircraft with VTOL capability are capable of docking in midair with the Aquila, and integrating themselves with the fuselage of the larger plane. These are referred to as 'parasite planes' or 'jump jets' due to their piggybacking on the Aquila's body. V-25 Valkyries are one such example. * A robotic grappler arm system will reach out and secure the aircraft before guiding it down to make contact with the fuselage, where docking clamps will lock onto compatible mount points to secure the docked aircraft in place. * With some compatible aircraft, a pressurized crew transfer chamber and connector adapter will allow the doors of the smaller aircraft to be opened at high altitude for crew to simply walk onto the larger aircraft after docking. This is true for the V-25 jump jet and its rear ramp. Interior layout * Three SUVs can be stored in its vast cargo bay, or alternatively, a single Juggernaut armored transport. Unlike its predecessor which used a crane, the Aquila simply lowers its rear cargo ramp. * It has an onboard command center, field medical bays or science bays, bunks for crew, offices, a bar, dining and lounge, kitchen and a tactical planning room. Stealth The plane is heavily armored and it is equipped with advanced adaptive cloaking technology, enabling it to camouflage into its surroundings. Its black, matte hull also absorbs radar waves, making it difficult to detect using conventional sensors. The Aquila has been specifically designed to work with this tech, and its usage on other aircraft is problematic or unoptimal at best. Category:Aircraft Category:Devices & Technology Category:United States Category:United Liberators Coalition Category:Pages with temporary images